Short message service (SMS) as applied by various communication networks provides a possibility (e.g. for wireless communication devices operating in association with the communication network) to send and receive brief text messages.
The following represents some examples of standardization documentation referring to SMS: GSMA PRD (Group Special Mobile Association-Permanent Reference Document) IR.92-IMS (IP—Internet Protocol-Multimedia Subsystem) Profile for Voice and SMS, 3GPP TS (Third Generation Partnership Project-Technical Specification) 23.040-Technical realization of the Short Message Service (SMS), 3GPP2 C.S0015-0-Short Message Service, 3GPP TS 24.341-Support of SMS over IP networks, and 3GPP2 X.50048-0-Short Message Service over IMS.
The 3GPP and 3GPP2 standardization organizations have defined three principal types of SMS communication (SMS communication modes):                3GPP-formatted SMS, using 3GPP radio protocols, handled by 3GPP SMS nodes in the network (legacy 3GPP SMS),        3GPP2-formatted SMS, using 3GPP2 radio protocols, handled by 3GPP2 SMS nodes in the network (legacy 3GPP2 SMS), and        3GPP- or 3GPP2-formatted SMS packaged in SIP (System Information Packet) messages, using IMS network protocols, handled by IMS nodes in the network (SMS over IMS).        
It should be noted that these three SMS communication modes should merely be seen as examples and that embodiments may be equally applicable in relation to other SMS communication modes (alone or in combination with the SMS communication modes above).
Typically, different network nodes that are not functionally interconnected handle respective SMS messages transmitted using the different SMS communication modes.
A wireless communication device may (e.g. depending on its radio access hardware and its software stacks) be capable of handling one or more of the SMS communication modes, for example, the legacy SMS supported by its radio access hardware and SMS over IMS, or all three SMS modes.
An SMS transmission may be initiated by a human user of a wireless communication device to communicate (send and receive SMS messages) with another human user of a wireless communication device or with a network application. Alternatively, an SMS transmission may be initiated by an application (of a wireless communication device or the network) to communicate (send and receive SMS messages) without user input. An example of the latter is Over-the-Air Device Management (OTADM), which may reconfigure a wireless communication device based on the contents of an SMS message sent from the network.
In wireless communication devices which support more than one SMS communication mode, a function typically exists that enable selection of SMS communication mode for sending an SMS message. The selection may, for example, be based on which radio access technique is currently being used for operating with the network and/or on a status of an IMS registration of the wireless communication device. This function may also collate incoming SMS messages received via the different SMS communication modes and provide them to users and/or applications—as applicable—through a common interface. Such a function may be referred to as an SMS manager.
Two main patterns of SMS messaging may be distinguished, regardless of whether the SMS messaging is user initiated or application initiated.
According to the first SMS messaging pattern, the wireless communication device sends or receives a single SMS message that is not directly related to any other SMS message. That is, after the single SMS message is sent or received, no further SMS traffic is expected (except, maybe, on user level).
According to the second SMS messaging pattern, a group comprising more than a single SMS message are directly related to each other and included in an SMS traffic flow. That is, the SMS messages of the group are transmitted or received in a specific sequence.
Problems may arise in relation to the second SMS messaging pattern when a wireless communication device supports several SMS communication modes and the SMS communication mode selection changes during a sequence of transmissions and/or receptions of SMS messages that belong to the same group. Since the different, SMS communication mode specific, network nodes are typically not functionally interconnected there is a potential risk of grouping of SMS messages causing various errors on the network side as will be exemplified further below.
Therefore, there is a need for improved SMS message management for wireless communication devices supporting a plurality of SMS communication modes.